A Few Days in
New Orleans
EAT · DRINK · WANDER · LISTEN
A Few Days in
New Orleans
EAT · DRINK · WANDER · LISTEN
What Are We Doing All Weekend?
Excellent question. We have no idea.
We’re too old to make a wedding itinerary, and you’re too old to need one.
There will be no scheduled group brunches, welcome cocktails, scavenger hunts, matching T-shirts, or mandatory wedding-weekend activities. You’re welcome.
Come to New Orleans. Do what sounds fun. Gain a few pounds enjoying some incredible food. Have a drink. Listen to music. Wander around. Take a nap.
We’ll be doing much the same and would love to meet up with people along the way whenever it works.
Basically: do your own thing, join us when you can, and enjoy our favorite city.
Laissez les bon temps rouler
Where to Stay
There are countless great places to stay in New Orleans, so choose whatever suits you best. If it helps, here are a few places we particularly like.
Hotel Monteleone
French Quarter
A New Orleans classic and home to the iconic Carousel Bar - one of our favorite places to spend far too much money on a single cocktail.
Bonus: Rooftop pool!
Hotel St. Marie
French Quarter
Right in the middle of the Quarter, but somehow feels tucked away once you step inside. There’s a beautiful courtyard, a pool, and enough old-school New Orleans charm to make you feel like you chose very wisely.
Great location without feeling like you’re sleeping in the middle of the party.
The Columns
Uptown
Beautiful, atmospheric, and a little quieter than the Quarter. It sits right on St. Charles Avenue across from the streetcar, which makes getting around easy-ish. Streetcar timing is more of a suggestion than a promise.
Hotel Provincial
French Quarter
An adorable boutique hotel in the middle of the Quarter - with a courtyard and a pool. We walk past it all the time and inevitably say, “We should stay here sometime.”
Eat Good Food
New Orleans is not a city for eating sensibly. Plan accordingly. Wear elastic waistbands.
A word to the wise: Many restaurants book early - like, months-in-advance early. Book as much as you can, then adjust on the fly. We double-book all the time, see where the day takes us, and cancel what we don’t need.
This is also how we routinely end up wildly overdressed at a dive eating fried chicken.
Brennan’s
French Quarter
Go for breakfast. Try a house-made juice, get the coffee service and Bananas Foster. Come back after dinner for drinks at the bar—that’s when you get the bread pudding.
Note: Brennan’s has a dress code. Don’t be that guy who shows up in a tank top and Teva’s (ever, actually).
Café du Monde
French Quarter
Beignets and café au lait. That’s the order. Don’t overcomplicate it.
There is absolutely no dignified way to eat a beignet. You will be covered in powdered sugar. Do not wear dark clothing.
Cash only.
Commander’s Palace
garden district
If you can get a reservation for Jazz Brunch, do it. Ask for the Garden Room, dress up a little, and settle in - this is not a quick-brunch situation. There will be courses. There will be cocktails. There may be a jazz trio standing next to your table while you’re eating eggs. Just go with it.
Lil’ Dizzy’s Café
TREMÉ
There may be a line. Get in it. This is the place for fried chicken, mac & cheese, collard greens, and all the other things you should absolutely be eating while you’re in New Orleans.
Kent says if you can only eat fried chicken at one place in NOLA, this is the one.
Frady’s One Stop Food Store
BYWATER
Good ol’ neighborhood corner store. Get either muffuletta or the meatball po’boy, dressed, and add some deviled eggs.
Cash only.
Also Worthwhile…
Napoleon House (french Quarter)
Brigtsen’s (uptown)
GW Fins (french quarter)
Camellia Grill (uptown)
clancy’s (uptown)
COOP’S PLACE (FRENCH QUARTER)
Drink Good Drinks
There is no shortage of places to get a drink in New Orleans. These are a few we keep going back to. Some are fancy. Some are decidedly not.
We like them all.
Carousel Bar
French Quarter
Yes, the bar actually rotates (slowly, you don’t need to buckle up).
Getting one of the actual carousel seats can take some patience, but stake one out if you can. It’s touristy, it’s usually busy, and we still think it’s worth doing at least once. One of our favorite pastimes is watching people attempt to pick each other up here. Most crash and burn - but usually not until after they’ve bought a few cocktails
Erin Rose
FRENCH QUARTER
Tiny, divey, and just far enough off Bourbon Street to feel like you’ve made a good decision. They’re known for the Frozen Irish Coffee, but honestly, we love it as a place to pop in for a really cold beer.
The Columns
uptown
Whether you’re staying here or not, this is a worth while stop. Go for cocktails on the porch and watch the streetcars roll by on St. Charles. It’s beautiful, relaxed, and one of our favorite places to sit around doing absolutely nothing for longer than intended. Their Pimm’s Cup is our favorite.
The Chart Room
French Quarter
A proper French Quarter dive bar. Cheap drinks, a great jukebox, and plenty of genuine characters (read: great people watching). No craft cocktail menu, no fuss, no reason to dress up. Belly up to the bar, pull a chair outside, just do not try to get the bartender’s attention. She’ll get to you when she gets to you.
Cash only.
Also Worthwhile….
Touché (French quarter)
Lafittes blacksmith shop (french quarter)
pat o’brien’s (french quarter)
the sazerac bar (french quarter)
Listen to Something Good
You do not need to be a jazz person to enjoy live music in New Orleans.
Some of the best music you’ll hear will just be on a street corner. Otherwise, a great way to see what’s going on at all times is to check out WWOZ’s Livewire Music Calendar.
Frenchmen Street
MARIGNY
This is where you go when you want live music but don’t necessarily want a plan. Jazz, brass, funk, blues - it’s all packed into a few blocks, and the music spills right out onto the street. Our favorites: Spotted Cat, DBA, Apple Barrel
Mahogany Jazz Hall
French Quarter
Small, intimate, old-school jazz-club vibes. Check the schedule or just show up and see who’s playing.
Fritzel's European Jazz Pub
FRENCH QUARTER
Traditional jazz right in the middle of Bourbon Street. Chaos outside. Really good jazz inside.
Preservation Hall
FRENCH QUARTER
Tiny, historic, no-frills, and all about the music. This one is worth planning ahead for - buy tickets in advance.
Other Things To Do Aside from Eating and Drinking
There’s no shortage of things to do in New Orleans. We normally don’t make big plans - we just trip along and figure the day out as it goes. Here are a few of our go-to’s. There’s also a great comprehensive list here.
City Park
Uptown
Great way to spend an afternoon! Swan boats, bikes, sculpture garden, museum, and our absolute favorite - the amusement park. Prepare to be the only adults there without children, but also be prepared for no lines and absolutely classic rides. Including one of the oldest carousels in the country.
Historic New Orleans Collection
FRENCH QUARTER
HNOC is an often overlooked gem and worth an hour or two of your time. Bonus: Free entry.
St. Louis Cathedral + Jackson Square
FRENCH QUARTER
Go get with God after walking Bourbon the night before. You may need it.
WWII Museum
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
This one is on our to-do list. Everything we’ve heard about this place is incredible, and the consensus is that it’s worth planning an entire day on.
You do not need a rental car in New Orleans. There’s a taxi line right outside the airport exit doors - and if it looks long, don’t worry. It moves quickly!
New Orleans is a very walkable city. We also love taking the street car (if you’re taking it to get to a reservation, give yourself extra time - their time table is very….unpredictable). Download the Le Pass app and hop on and off wherever you want!
If you opt for an Uber at the end of the night, be aware that Bourbon Street is often barricaded. Walk a couple of blocks away and arrange to meet your driver on a different corner. Or hop on a pedicab! Fun fact: pedicab driver is Kent’s dream job.
Getting Around
You have personal travel agents at your beck and call!
Kent:
looskent68@gmail.com
206.818.9937
Kelley:
ohalloranstratton@gmail.com
206.310.4404
Loos & O’Halloran Travel Agency
